


Care Instructions

by Denois



Series: Tumblr Fics and Prompt Fills [43]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Tumblr Prompt, actual information about how to do laundry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois
Summary: Dex gets back to the Haus early from work only to find Nursey in the basement starting a load of laundry. Or, more accurately, starting to overload the machine and potentially ruin all his clothes. Before he can decide whether or not to say something, Nursey asks him about laundry methods and Dex is more than willing to share what he knows about interpreting care instructions.
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Series: Tumblr Fics and Prompt Fills [43]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693858
Comments: 14
Kudos: 118





	Care Instructions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [functionalgaypointdexter (forheart)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/forheart/gifts).



> Thank you to Pretty-Meris for the prompt:  
> Dex showing derek how to do laundry
> 
> And a big thanks to the read through by [Draskireis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/draskireis)

Dex was back at the Haus unexpectedly early. The power had gone out at work and after waiting an amount of time known and understood only by management, he’d been released for the rest of his shift. Still, he was surprised to see Nursey dumping a bag full of laundry into the washing machine.

“Hey Nurse. Laundry day, huh?”

“Ch’yeah. Laundry day. Just gotta get the ol’ laundry done.” 

Nursey didn’t look over at him. Nursey was talking oddly. Nursey was being weird.

Dex slowed down and took a moment to watch what Nursey was doing. What he was doing was overloading the machine, which would be a problem for the machine but also a problem for the clothes, and not separating items by care instructions at all.

“Interesting laundry method.”

Nursey nodded. “Yeah. It’s New York Style. You probably haven’t seen it before.”

Dex bit his lip. He was completely sure that Nursey had just made that up. He was also completely sure that if Nursey continued what he was doing then he’d ruin most if not all of his fancy expensive clothes. 

And he was dead certain that ruining any chance of friendship that still remained between them was the last thing he wanted. (He gently told the part of his brain that suggested there was still a chance for romance to shut the fuck up.) The problem was that he wasn’t sure which would cause more damage: offering unwanted assistance or not trying to prevent Nursey from ruining his clothes when he knew what was going to happen.

“Hey, would you want to, uh, maybe share your culture with me, Poindexter? Show me the Maine Method? You know, cultural exchange is chill.”

Dex let his bag drop to the cement floor. “Ayuh. I’d be happy to share my culture with you, Nurse.”

He stepped up beside Nursey and carefully pulled one of the sweaters out of the top of the machine. “First thing about the Maine Method is that we don’t put everything in together. Some things can’t be washed with some other things.”

“Is this that separating the whites and the color clothes thing? Sounds like segregation.”

“That’s more dependent on if you have clothes with dyes that run in the wash. But they make color catcher things now and most dyes stay better than in the past. A lot of people separate them out like that just in case. But I was talking about the care instructions.” He held the tag from the sweater up to show the washing instructions on it. “Clothes should have their care instructions on the tag, though, I don’t know, maybe custom stuff just has a separate thing to tell you? Or they assume you’ll take it to a professional.” 

Nursey shifted beside him and made an odd noise, but Dex ignored it when he didn’t actually say anything.

“For stuff like my jeans and cheap shirts, it’s not as big a deal. But silks, wools, especially the fancy wools like angora and cashmere and mohair, linen, any of the nicer clothes are probably going to have special care instructions and can’t just be thrown in with jeans. They might need a delicate cycle, or lower temperature, or a special detergent to preserve the threads. Or they might just be dry clean only.”

“I heard that’s fake.”

He tilted his head back and forth. “For most stuff I might have that says it? It’s probably fake. Some manufacturers put that as like a way to reduce liability. The stuff is probably fine in the regular wash, but if something happens, they don’t want to get sued over it. Typically the more intricate, so more expensive, it is, then the more likely it really needs to be dry cleaned instead of put in the delicate cycle.”

“Oh. What’s that mean?” Nursey reached over and pointed at the symbol for the iron.

“That’s for ironing. The single dot means it can be ironed on low setting only. Some tags will write out the instructions, others use symbols. But there’s usually one for washing, which is this tub looking thing, if there’s a hand then that means only hand wash it, an X means don’t wash it, if it’s a circle instead then it’s dry clean only and if it’s a circle with an X that means don’t dry clean it.”

“Oh, I read about that. The chemicals destroy some stuff.”

Dex nodded.

“So the dots mean how hot then?”

“Yep. So, the first step is sorting the clothes into things that can go in the wash and by cycle. A line under the tub means it needs the permanent press cycle and two lines means gentle or delicate cycle. I ignore the dots because I just use cold wash. It’s more energy efficient. Unless I get something really gross on my jeans. I’ll throw them in a hotter wash if that happens.”

They were quiet for a few minutes as they pulled items back out of the machine and sorted into piles for dry clean only, handwashing, and various machine cycles. They were quiet for a few minutes more because Nursey seriously had a lot of laundry to get through. It looked like he’d finally gone through the room and picked up all of his clothes that had been scattered around on the floor and behind the furniture. Once they had sorted everything and put the first load back in, Nursey looked at him again.

“Any other Mainer secrets?”

“If you use fabric softener, this is the spot for it. It’s another thing not really necessary these days, and it can change how clothes feel which some people don’t like. But some people like the extra smell and like how it makes the clothes feel. Then you measure out your detergent and pour it in here.” He demonstrated as he talked before showing the dials and buttons to select the wash cycle that Nursey wanted and getting the load started.

“That’s a lot of work.”

“Ayuh. Household labor is work.” He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s more work if you have clothes you care about I guess. I can mostly just put mine in as long as I don’t overload the machine. Not going to ruin anything I own by picking the wrong cycle. Your care instructions are more complicated. Gotta be gentle.”

He wasn’t entirely certain if he was even talking about clothes. 

No. He pushed that thought back into the corners of his brain. He was talking about clothes. Nursey had fancy, expensive clothes that needed gentle and delicate care. It was not a frelling metaphor for Nursey needing gentle and delicate care.

Nursey turned around and then hopped up on top of the machine to look at him. “But overloading the machine is still a problem?”

“Yeah. It’s bad for the machine, can break it. But also the clothes don’t get clean and they can get snagged and torn. Maybe messed up other ways.” 

“Oh. Well, thanks for sharing with me.”

Dex nodded but didn’t move. “There’s more to it. For the dryer portion. Do you want me to show you the, uh, Maine Method on that too? Or are you going with the New York Style drying?”

“Oh, chill. Well, you know. I already started with the Maine Method, so I should probably stick with that.”

Dex couldn’t help but smile a little at that.

“Besides, there’s not really a New York Style.”

“What? I don’t believe you.” 

Nursey looked over at him suspiciously and Dex’s smile grew. “Oh, you’re making fun of me. I see how it is.”

“It’s fine you don’t know how to do laundry, Nurse. You could have just asked before.”

“Had a service to do it before, but I didn’t think it would be chill to have someone come in and take my clothes to be cleaned while I’m at the Haus, you know? No one else does that here. They all adult and know how to do laundry.”

Dex couldn’t stop the laughter. He held up a hand to try to indicate to Nursey that it wasn’t at his expense, but he still ended up doubled over for nearly a minute trying to get himself together. 

“They absolutely do not. Bitty takes anything he’s particular about to a cleaners and all of the rest of them use the New York Style laundry method. They just don’t care if their clothes get messed up. Why do you think I’m always having to fix the machines?”

“Oh.”

There was a pause while Dex shook his head and continued trying to stop himself from laughing at the thought of the rest of the team having any clue what they were doing when it came to laundry.

“If no one actually uses the care instructions, why’d you go over them with me instead of just telling me to watch my load size and where to put the soap?”

That made Dex calm down immediately. Calm might not be the best way to describe how he felt, but he couldn’t think of any better words right then. 

“Because your stuff is important. Don’t want to mess them up.”

There was another pause, this one silent except for the sounds of the washing machine under Nursey.

“I’m sorry if I overloaded you in our room.”

Dex shook his head. “Thanks. But, I could have spoken up. Or figured out a better way, a gentler cycle. Something.”

“Your delicates also deserve a gentle cycle.”

Dex snorted. “Title of your sex tape?”

The grin that Nursey responded with was beautiful. Because of course it was. “Nah. I was thinking ‘Hung to dry’.”

“Permanent Press.”

“Iron with steam.”

They ended up both dissolving into laughter for several minutes before finally pulling themselves together and wiping away the tears from laughing so hard. Once he caught his breath, Dex looked at Nursey for a long time before making a decision.

“If you’re still into cultural exchange, I could show you the Maine Method for cooking.”

“Yo? That involve lobster?”

He watched Nursey’s face, trying to decide what Nursey’s intention with the question was. Unfortunately, Nursey continued to not actually have his intentions written on his face, so Dex had to take another leap of faith. “It can. Sometimes. Not tonight, because I don’t have any. But if you, uh, if you liked me cooking for you, I could do that another time.”

“You offering to cook for me multiple times, Poindexter? That would be chill. But I think I should get to show you the New York Style, too.”

“New York Style?”

“Ch’yeah. I order take out and we watch Netflix and chill. New York Style.”

Dex shook his head at the absurdity as he fought back more laughter.

“Unless you don’t want to. Chill. Chill. I read that wrong. I thought you were asking me-. Doesn’t matter. It’s chill. Forget I-”

“Shut up, Nurse. I’m not saying no.” Dex forced himself to take several deep breaths so that he could get past the idea of Nursey calling takeout, Netflix, and chill ‘New York Style’. “I was asking to cook for you as a date. And yeah, I’d love to try New York Style with you sometime too. You’re just-.” He broke off and shook his head again. How could he explain that he wouldn’t want Nursey to be any other way?

“Ch’yeah. I get that a lot. I’m a lot.”

“No. You’re good. You’re great. You’re Nursey.”

Nursey frowned at him. “You used my nickname.”

“That not ok? You’re Derek Malik Nurse.”

“That’s worse. Come here. Help me off this machine so I can kiss you. We kiss now. You asked me out, so we’re on a date, it’s allowed.”

Dex considered telling Nursey that he was fully capable of getting off the machine by himself. It wasn’t that far and probably even Nursey would be unlikely to hurt himself. But then, it was Nursey. He probably just wanted the aesthetics of it: Dex’s hands on his hips, rucking his shirt as he slowly slid down, them standing close together and already being in each other’s space. 

He stepped in front of Nursey. “We kiss now, huh?”

Nursey slipped off the machine, and Dex’s hands rucked his shirt as they shifted slightly from their place on his hips. “If it’s chill with you.”

“Ayuh. It’s chill.”

Nursey’s lips were soft and warm. Gentle and delicate.

Maybe he would get the hang of figuring out Nursey’s care instructions after all.


End file.
